Changing the Locks
by magically speaking
Summary: ONESHOT: Angelinas attempt at keeping a drunk George at bay.


Never in my wildest dreams would I, Angelina Johnson, believe that I'd be sitting here waiting up for a man. Yet here I sit, in my bath robe, pretending to read my book, when I have yet to turn the first page.

George left the house at 5 o'clock this evening. It's nearly midnight. He should have been home hours ago. He told me that Ron was almost done moving, just needed a hand with a few last minute things.

"I'll be home within the hour, Angel." He had told me with a kiss to the cheek. He had left with the intention of helping move a few of the heavy furniture then to be back in time for dinner. Ha! An hour my arse! If I had known he was going out, I would have called up Katie or Alicia and made a girls night of it.

_knock..knock..knock..._

Jolting me out of my train of thought I make my way to the front door. Looking through the dime size peep hole I can make out a head of flaming, red hair. With George's head resting heavily on the door, I can hardly make out but unmistakably see Harry and Ron standing, or rather, swaying side to side behind him.

I flooed Hermione a bit ago asking if George had maybe decided to stay a bit longer at her and Ron's place but she told me that she was in the same boat. Ron had been gone most of the night. She told me to floo her if they show up here. Guess I should have let Ginny in on the memo.

I look down and see the door handle rattle.

"Open the bloody door George, its freezing!" I hear Ron yell.

The door handle rattles again.

"S'not opening…" he slurs out.

"Use your wand." Harry exclaims, tossing back the drink in his hand.

I bite my bottom lip to keep from laughing. This wasn't the first time this had happened. Me wondering where the hell my boyfriend was and him coming home piss drunk. But it is the first time I decided to change the locking spells on the door…

"It's not fucking working…" he said, his voice growing louder in frustration.

Knock..knock..knock…rattle…rattle…rattle…

"Angelina!" he yelled. Pounding on the door once more he turned to look behind him and then began laughing, for reasons unbeknownst to me, causing Ron and Harry to join in with him. Honestly, I don't see what's so funny in this situation seeing how he's not stepping foot inside this house tonight. Nope, not this time. I've had enough.

"Come on George!" Ron laughed deeply. He grabbed the bottle of liquor from Harry and tossed back a swig. "I'm about to freeze my nutters off out here!"

_Oooo…Hermione and Ginny are going to kill you two_, I think to myself, shaking my head.

"Angelina! Open the door!" He tried again. "Why isn't she answering?"

"Maybe she's not home?" Harry questioned, looking about to topple over.

"No, she's here. I can see a light on through the window." George muttered. "She's pissed is all."

_Damn right…_

"Come on; let's just go to my flat." Ron suggested. "Hermione should be passed out by now and shouldn't wake up if you two tossers don't make noise before I put the silencing charm up." Harry and George nodded their heads in agreement and turned around to leave.

In a sober state of mind, Ron would have never suggested this; even less likely would be Harry agreeing to said suggestion. But honestly this is why I get upset in the first place. Because these idiot boys make idiot decisions when they can't think straight and we have to deal with their idiot mistakes. I suddenly got angry at Ron's words, at what they were planning to do. So I decided to speak up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I said, loud enough so that I knew all of them heard me.

The three men stopped in their tracks and turned to look in my direction. I heard silence on the other side of the door.

"Angelina?" I saw George turn back around. "Open the door Love, it's freezing out."

"You really think I'm that thick?" I yelled, surprised by the sheer volume in my voice; surprised by the waves of anger that were rolling off my body.

"No I don't think you're thick but I'll catch my death out here if you don't open the bleedin door! It's starting to rain!"

As if on cue, the sound of thunder boomed in the distance causing me to rethink my strategy. But the moment was fleeting.

"You can't die from a cold, Weasley. So what if it's raining. You're a wizard, figure it out."

A sigh of frustration came from his side. "Angel, please… I know I fucked up. Just… open the door and we'll talk it through…"

"Oh no you don't, George! Don't Angel me now when you know you're in deep."

Looking through the peep hole I saw Ron and Harry pull him towards them forming a small group.

"Are they really formulating a plan out there?" I heard a voice say to my left.

Jumping back a step, I habitually reached for my wand from the pocket of my robe but found it wasn't there. I looked up and saw an amused Ginny looking through the curtains of my window to where the boys were standing.

"Merlin, Ginny." I exhale and run a hand through the long, dark curls in my hair. "A warning would have been nice."

"Sorry Angelina. I thought you heard me 'pop' in. What exactly are they doing out there anyway?" She replied, her attention back on the situation on hand. "Its nearly 50 degrees out!"

"I've locked them out." I say with an even tone.

Ginny looked at me with a bemused grin. "Good girl. Serves those losers right. I expect they'll try and apparate in."

"If he knows what's good for him, he won't try it."

"Yes, or they'll splinch themselves from their drunken state." She chuckled. "Well as much fun as this all is, I've got to go out there and take the tagalongs home with me. "

"What? Why?" I nearly whine. "Now that you're here, I'm counting on you to be my back up, my support. They're definitely planning something stupid out there."

Ginny nodded in agreement. "Well of course it's going to be stupid. There's no doubt about that. But I really don't want to be around when you kill my brother and then I'll have to lie in court for you."

I make a slight smile at her joke, though it's not far from the truth.

"Besides, Ron and Harry are definitely not off Scott free. From what Hermione was telling me, Ron is in for a world of hurt."

"He's not the only one," I reply.

Rubbing my back reassuringly, she gives me a small smile, and then turns and with a slight pop she's outside standing in front of my door, now blocking my view from the peep hole. I quickly move to the window to watch.

With the thunderous noise and patter of the rain fall, it's hard to make out what she's saying. Harry, with a look of shock plastered on his face from her sudden appearance makes to move towards her but she quickly put her hand up stopping him in his place. Now looking guilty he nervously rubs the back of his neck with his hand.

Linking her arms between Harry and Ron, they all dissaperate together leaving George out on the front patio by himself.

The wind starts to pick up sending drops of rain to splash against my window.

George stands there for a moment, simply starring at the spot where Harry and Ron just were. Then he turns and sits on the floor placing his chin in the palm of his hands.

Looking through the window, my heart suddenly starts to soften. Seeing him in this position, so alone, so sad, I just want to bring him inside and make him warm.

But I can't just let him inside. It would defeat the whole purpose. It would send him the wrong message, telling him that yes, coming home shit faced is okay, and yes dear, go ahead and be gone until sunrise without a word of where you're at. Do whatever the hell you want. It's a free world right?

Indecision wracks my brain and clouds my mind.

In the end, though…I remove the spell.

The door is unlocked.


End file.
